On February 9, school board members participated in their annual kick off retreat. Planning NEXT facilitated the 2 hour retreat where they led discussions with Board members to develop a shared understanding of Board Policy 5120, which outlines the factors to be considered when assigning students to schools. Board members reviewed those policy factors, discussed how they might be interpreted in Dublin, and began identifying potential considerations for evaluation by focus groups. 

Planning NEXT shared that the objective of the project’s first phase is to establish the considerations and priorities that should guide redistricting decisions before any maps are developed. During the previous redistricting effort, the guiding criteria often competed with one another, making it difficult to balance priorities when developing draft maps. This time, the goal is to clearly prioritize the criteria before any maps are created, identifying what factors are most important to the community and where there may be flexibility or tradeoffs during map development. Establishing those priorities early will help ensure the mapmaking process is more transparent and aligned with community expectations.